The present invention relates to the physical exercise equipment especially designed to provide proper body position and legs movement similar to those of alpine skiing.
Several ski simulating/training machines are known in the art. Designed in a variety of embodiments these devices show single or twin foot platforms with the ability to reproduce a more or less accurate alpine skiing simulated motion. Features like hand grips and variable or constant motion resistance are usually provided. Body weight shifting from one leg to another is made possible but generally the upper body is maintained in a position with the center of gravity rather high and lined up above the foot platform(s).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,181—Krive—Multi-directional movement leg exerciser: This exerciser shows a floor support base, “a turntable rotatably mounted on the base” and two foot supports “movable with respect to the turntable and with respect to one another” mounted on top of the turntable. The exerciser can provide a 360 degree rotation of the turntable and a multidirectional motion of the foot platforms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,463—Kleinnibbelink—Alpine skiing training device: This device shows a floor support base frame with an inverted U shaped handlebar vertically fixed on the frame and a shaped transversal arm. One end of the arm is attached to the frame by means of one or two sleeve-bearings and the other end carries a single foot platform mounted on a bearing sleeve/spindle. Once weight is applied to the foot platform, the arm's “equilibrium position under the influence of gravity” can be changed to generating a pendulum inverted swinging motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,567—Chang,—Rocking type exerciser: This exerciser shows a snowboard like single foot platform mounted on a rectangular frame carrying arcuate tracks for rocking motion above multiple roller wheels fixed on a general support floor frame. The motion is controlled by means of multiple springs connecting foot platform's each end with the support floor frame. Two vertical bars and hand grips are individually mounted to the floor support frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,014—Loane—Ski exercising apparatus: This apparatus shows an H shaped floor support base with two short parallel members and long cross bar carrying a pair of arcuate rails. Two pivoting parallel foot platforms, connected by links, are mounted on the top of a carriage riding on the rail set by means of ball bearing wheels. Flexible straps are provided for resistance and side to side rocking motion control.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,811—Wilson—Skiing simulator: This simulator shows an H shaped floor support base with two vertical bars and hand grips fixed on frame's front horizontal member and a track mounted on frame's rear horizontal member. Two multiple axis pivoting foot platforms can slide independently along the track from side to side. Foot platforms motion is controlled by means of “a chord extending around a pulley attached to . . . a single tension spring” anchored to the base frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,484—Gordon—Ski simulating exercise machine: This exercise machine shows two elongated arms/foot platforms connected to a frame by means of joints and variable length pivot rods where the system's multiple axis motion resistance is controlled by means of “springs or oil damper type cylinders”. An U shaped handle bar on a generally vertical post is pivotally connected to the frame and to the cylinder/foot platform arms assembly by a tie bar providing for a simultaneous movement of the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,130—Green, et al.—Leg exerciser: This exerciser shows “two four bar linkage with side by side foot pads for providing a lateral sliding motion resistively controlled by means of “double acting hydraulic cylinders”. An adjustable C shaped handle bar on a vertical post is mounted on the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,496—Colombo—Equipment for ski movement simulation: This equipment shows a floor support frame carrying a pivoting arm that can “oscillate horizontally . . . able to carry out a slight vertical oscillation”. Two multiple axis pivoting foot platforms” are restrained to the arm and series of rods tie rods are provided for synchronized motion of the arm; foot platforms and two vertical hand bars also mounted on the arm. Arm's horizontal oscillation is controlled by elastic means while an electrical circuit system detects and signals out of range movements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,995—Alvarez, et al.—Ski simulating exercise machine: This machine shows “a pair of elongated foot support arms . . . for limited rotation movement about separate axis” and a “gear train interconnecting each of the foot support arms to coordinate movement . . . in a predetermined coordinated manner” mounted on a floor support base. Rubber stud bumpers are provided for motion limiting, along with a belt and pulley brake system for resistance to movement adjustment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,033—Palmer—Ski simulating exercise machine: This machine seems to be of a similar basic design to U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,995—Alvarez, showing a full floor support frame with two hand bars and grips mounted on the support frame and a common system of adjustable hydraulic fluid flow piston/cylinder assemblies to control the simultaneous motion of foot platforms and hand bars.